Bhandara tiger killer nabbed in 24 hrs, 3 still absconding

Nagpur: A day after tiger B2 aka Rudra was electrocuted near Koka wildlife sanctuary in Bhandara, forest officials cracked the case by arresting the kingpin. Three other accused are still absconding.
On Friday, an adult tiger was found dead on Paldi-Mathadi road, 5km from Koka sanctuary, which shocked forest officials. An award of Rs25,000 was also announced by the forest department.
Acting on a tipoff by volunteers of Paryavaran Sanrakshan Bahuudeshiya Sanstha, Bhandara, working for wildlife conservation, forest officials on Saturday zeroed in on the gang of poachers and nabbed kingpin Dilip Narayan Narnawre (54) of Chandori Malipar village, 5km from the spot where the tiger was electrocuted.
The forest team seized 22 wooden sticks, 20 insulators, wire bundles, and other tools from the farms of Ashok Bhongade of Ambadi village. The accused confessed he laid the wire traps along with three others on the night of January 27. After finding that a tiger had died in the trap, all returned at 4am.
According to sources, Narnawre belongs to a gang of 12-15 persons who are habitual poachers. The gang targets herbivores by laying live electric wire fences through 11kv power lines and also used stolen MSEDCL insulators to ensure that the line did not trip. The area of operation of the accused used to be away from their native village so that they are not caught easily.
In 2018, they had also killed a leopard. The gang members are involved in selling bush meat to highway dhaba wallahs and other influential customers not only in the district but also in MP. Narnawre showed forest officials the spot and the modus operandi to kill animals.
CCF P Kalyan Kumar, who visited the spot on Saturday, has directed the staff to pick up those people who used to buy bush meat from these accused.
“The report that the 11kv feeder did not trip, if true, is worrisome. The MSEDCL should get the breaker tested. The forest department should find out if this particular gang has found a way to avoid tripping while killing animals. That means the only technological help to detect electrocution is of no use any more and local poachers have gone to the next level,” said Nitin Desai, Central India director of Wildlife Protection Society of India (WPSI).